Long-Awaited Update to Gambling Laws May Never Happen

By John Isaac,
Editor at online-gambling.com

John Isaac Editor at online-gambling.com

John Isaac is an editor with many years of experience in the gambling industry. He writes expert articles on card games like blackjack and poker. In addition, he is also well aware of the US gambling laws and the Indian and Dutch gambling markets. You can rely on verified information and insightful details.

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Last updated: September 19, 2022

People in the UK advocating for reforms in the gambling industry won’t be pleased with the most recent development. According to reports, the long-awaited update to gambling laws in the country may never happen. The British government has been updating and reviewing its gambling regulations in the past few years. The gambling white paper was supposed to be presented last year, but the publication of the white paper was delayed several times.

It looked as if the government would announce its plans the previous month, but that was before Liz Truss replaced Boris Johnson and became the new prime minister of the UK. According to The Guardian, the government is evaluating several suggested law reforms, including a gambling reform. The news source confirmed that Liz Truss and her cabinet are trying to get rid off energy reform and a new bill of rights. Additionally, a bill on gambling reform, animal welfare, and an online harms bill may be removed simultaneously.

There Was Already a Feeling That the New Government Won’t Give Gambling Reform Much Attention

There was already an assumption that the new government won’t prioritize gambling reform. That assumption seems to be reinforced by Liz Truss’ remarks. As she keeps making changes to both lower and upper levels of the UK’s legislative structure, she said, “Government’s role should not be to tell us what our tastes should be. Too often we’re hearing about not drinking too much, eating too many doughnuts”.

The leader of the Conservative Party is not eager to be responsible for managing people’s lives. She says the government is not in charge of telling people how to act or think. Liz Truss chooses a more subtle approach to governing the country.

According to reports, she will also drop an obesity bill. She might lift restrictions on how sugary products can be displayed in stores and bring back daytime junk food advertising. The commercials of some products are currently prohibited before 9 pm. The legislative changes will undoubtedly cause friction. The debate about removing the limit on the number of bonuses that can be received by bankers is another change that is certain to cause debate.

Legislative Reform Is Still in the Game

Despite these modifications, reforms are still on the horizon. For example, Liz Truss discarded the energy bill due to some language that was included in it. However, she disclosed that she would be allocating US$170 billion (£150 billion) to deal with the energy crisis in the UK. Where the country is going in regard to gambling reform remains unclear. Even if it discards the white paper, it is unlikely to completely abandon the subject. A request for input received no response from the Betting and Gaming Council.

Some believe that a start over with bigger efforts from the gambling industry and consideration of the most recent research and analysis is more likely. The UK Gambling Commission mentions that the self-governing ecosystem has decreased the percentage of problem gamblers under voluntary responsible gambling programs.